Slave to His Love
by Elric-Chan
Summary: Naruto was Itachi's slave... but it was Sasuke who loved him. And what price will Sasuke have to pay for what he wants the most? What consequence can he face for keeping his promise to protect the one that means the most to him? AU SasuNaruSasu CHAPTER 4!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Naruto and Sasuke don't belong to me, plain and simple.**

**This is an idea that's been brewing for some time now... I'm certainly glad I waited to write it when I at least had some talent. **

**Please, if you're going to read this, I ask that you tell me what you think and that you read the chapters to come. This is well on its way to becoming one of my favorites. Thank you.**

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The first glimpse Sasuke had had of the boy called Naruto was when their eyes had briefly met, as the boy was being led down the hall by his older brother.

The boy was to be a slave of sorts to Itachi, and Sasuke couldn't help but to try and see him. And so he had been caught peering around the wall, caught by the one person he was secretly trying to see: the slave boy himself.

Eyes blue as the deepest sky locked with his own, and he flushed with embarrassment. The glance was gone as quick as it had come, soft locks of rumpled blonde hair that shielded it disappearing around a corner.

**_SLAVE TO HIS LOVE_**

Sasuke didn't know much, except that because his parents loved his brother Itachi far more than him, and because they had the money, Itachi had gotten a slave. He didn't like that they were the kind of family to enslave someone, but he had to admit that they certainly were. The boy was young, around his age, sixteen or seventeen if he could venture a guess. What he was to be used for, Sasuke didn't have the slightest clue.

In all honesty, they were exactly the kind of family capable of such malice. The Uchihas were an eccentric family, living quietly in their estate on their own land. Sasuke was an exception to his family's inhuman ways; even though he had always suspected that his mother had once had a kind heart and demeanor, she had been turned cold by his father. Itachi was no different. The brother he had once loved playing with now kept to himself and rarely spoke to him.

But now, this innocent boy who was being led like a lamb to slaughter into their unforgiving house, well... he intrigued Sasuke.

And so Sasuke was determined to learn more about this boy, talk to him if he could. He took a deep breath as he opened his brother's door, to find Itachi reading a book on his bed.

"Yes, Sasuke?" When Itachi _did_ speak to him, it was always with a tone that feigned politeness.

"Um..." Sasuke faltered. "That boy... where is he?"

"Why?" Itachi's lips turned up into a cruel smile.

"I don't know... I just wanted... to talk to him or something."

Itachi smiled condescendingly.

"I don't see how he's any of your business." His smile turned mocking. "But the boy is in there."

He jerked his head toward a room across the hall from his own. Sasuke glanced over his shoulder at the door, and Itachi gave him a light shove.

"Now go on," he said, his eyes assessing Sasuke once more before they slid back down to the book. "Get out."

Sasuke frowned at him, and retreated back to the door.

"And Sasuke..." Sasuke turned; Itachi's smile was still in place. "Don't get attached to him."

Sasuke sneered and left the room, slamming the door for good measure as he went. His brother could be a real asshole at times. He already felt sorry for the blonde boy. _Don't_ _get attached to him._ That meant the boy was disposable, meant that he wouldn't be around for long.

Apprehensively, he lifted a hand to knock on the boy's door, but then stopped. Why did he have to knock? This was his own house, and this boy was nothing but a servant to his brother. He shook his head for thinking such a rude thing, but all the same, he wasn't going to knock.

He tried the door, and to his immense surprise, it wasn't locked.

He stepped inside confidently, but quailed as those blue eyes pierced him again. He looked away from them as he cloed the door, and they darted about the room. Simple, and yet Sasuke felt that Itachi, being Itachi after all, had somewhat outdone himself. A bed, a soft chair, a lamp, and carpet on the floor. That was a lot more than he had expected Itachi would allow the boy to have.

Now that he had the chance (and the excuse), he took in the boy's appearance. Still dressed in clothes that looked to be very much his own, another thing that surprised Sasuke, he looked like nothing more than a modern-day ninja. His clothing was designed in exactly the way the book on "ancient shinobi" described ninja attire, even if the boy's happened to be a lurid orange color. He probably had to be, Sasuke thought absentmindedly, the only person who could pull an outfit like that off.

His hair was, as Sasuke vividly remembered it, pale blonde and precariously ruffled. It fell almost past his eyes, but instead achieved a rather cherubic look as it framed his face.

"Yes?"

Sasuke turned toward the bed at the abrupt voice, back to those blue eyes. The boy had spoken; his voice was light and gentle, but held an unmistakable trace of spite. And those eyes...

It was something Sasuke had learned long ago; you'd be surprised at what you could learn from a person's eyes alone. These held a certain defensiveness; and that defensiveness was a key to unlocking another door: fear. These eyes were afraid. But he could see longing haunting every bottomless depth of them.

What the boy wanted, Sasuke could not tell, but it was with an urgency that those eyes bore into his. As he realized that they were indeed gazing at each other in such a manner, he dropped his eyes.

"I'm sorry... this seems so impolite..." Sasuke slowly made his way to the bed, and sat down on the end of it, his eyes still averted. "My name's Sasuke."

"Naruto." Sasuke looked once again at the boy, who had sat up, his body now irresistably inclined toward him. Sasuke could see a faint smile lingering on his lips as his head dipped in a silent bow, and Sasuke did the same. The instant their heads were lifted, and their eyes met again, Sasuke felt like he was suddenly seeing him for the first time.

"Naruto." Sasuke repeated, extending his hand awkwardly. "It's nice to meet you."

The instant their hands clasped, a sudden warmth spread throughout Sasuke's fingers to the rest of his body. But Naruto's eyes took on a distant manner and he dropped Sasuke's hand, leaning back on his bedframe with a sigh.

"Can I ask you something... Sasuke?"

Sasuke's lips pursed in confusion. "Sure."

"Why am I here?" And there it was: Naruto was terrified. Sasuke could hear it in his voice; he obviously wasn't used to being used, wasn't used to being made to be subservient. Sasuke's heart sympathized for him.

"I... don't know."

Naruto's eyes once again sought his, but he dropped them almost as quickly.

"You're telling the truth."

"Why wouldn't I be?" Sasuke asked, and was immediately met with Naruto's apologetic expression.

"I'm sorry... Sasuke," he said, his fingers clenched around the black fabric of his jacket, his face pained with guilt. "I know it's not you I'm here to serve. It's your..."

"Brother." Naruto looked up at him and nodded.

"He was just... so cruel to me when he was bringing me here... I just don't know what I'm to expect."

"I won't lie to you," Sasuke whispered softly, inching closer to Naruto until they were side-by-side. "He's not a nice person."

"Will he... abuse me?"

"I don't know."

"Please!" Naruto said, gripping the front of Sasuke's shirt. "Can't you do anything?"

And looking into those helpless eyes, hearing this impossible plea, Sasuke knew his brother was wrong.

_Don't get attached to him._

Too late. Sasuke already felt like Naruto was someone he'd known for a long time, someone he shared a bond with, a bond that he could form with no one else. Naruto was someone he had to protect.

"I'll try," he promised Naruto with a smile, and with that, he made a silent vow to himself.

He would not break that promise.

**T.B.C...**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Naruto and Sasuke do not belong to me. Once again.**

**To my current readers, Itachi's use for Naruto will be revealed in Chapter 4, the reason for which is revealed through these next two. So, read on! **

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**_CHAPTER 2_**

Sasuke slipped quietly down the hall, heading for Naruto's room. It had been only one day since they had met, but already he was determined to make good on his promise; he would spend as much time with Naruto as he could, and protect him in any way that he could.

And even though it had been just one day, Sasuke wouldn't for a minute put it past Itachi to have done something horrible to Naruto already. And so Sasuke's arms were laden with things he had smuggled for the blonde, things he was sure Itachi would deny him at all costs. He stopped at the front of Naruto's room, glancing nervously over his shoulder at Itachi's firmly closed door. He shook his head, and turned to face forward again.

As before, he didn't knock, but the moment his hand had begun to turn the knob, the door swung wide.

For a moment, he was taken aback, but Naruto smiled and pulled him by the arm into the room. As Naruto shut the door behind his back, Sasuke noticed what was different about him. His orange ninja-suit was gone, replaced by something that resembled something he himself might wear; a dark navy shirt emblazoned with the Uchiha crest on its back, and light beige cargo pants.

Naruto shifted under Sasuke's scrutinizing gaze.

"I know I'm not an Uchiha," he muttered. "But Itachi-san told me I'm as good as, since I belong to him now."

_Itachi-san?_ Sasuke rolled his eyes. No doubt Itachi was making Naruto call him that. But he noticed Naruto glancing eagerly at what he held in his hands, and the blonde gave a soft cry of ecstasy as he saw that one of the items was a package of ramen. Sasuke looked at him curiously, and his lips turned up into a smile.

"You like ramen?" he asked amusedly, holding it up. Naruto nodded as his slender hands took it from his own. Sasuke gave an inward sigh and moved to the bed, sitting down and setting everything beside him. Naruto tentatively sat down next to him, and it was then that Sasuke noticed how different these clothes made Naruto seem.

"You look just I would," Sasuke said. "Those clothes look like they could be mine."

"They_ are_ yours," Naruto told him shyly. "Itachi-san said so."

Sasuke gaped at him. Naruto was wearing clothes that once belonged to him. Perplexed, he lifted his hands with abandon and ran them down Naruto's sides, causing the blonde to jump and blush furiously. Sasuke chuckled at him, and flashed a smile.

"Sorry," he said, grinning in sheer amusement. "Those look like clothes I wore quite a while ago. You have a small frame, I guess."

Naruto shifted away from him again, looking embarrassed rather than annoyed. And suddenly it hit Sasuke; even though he barely knew Naruto, he could sense how unnatural this kind of behavior was for him.

"Naruto." he said sharply, and Naruto swung around to face him. "You're not a shy person. Stop acting so submissive."

"Sub...missive?" Naruto said, and then frowned. "But you're right, I'm not like this. I hate it."

Sasuke sat up straighter at the completely different tone Naruto was using. It was more confident, more grown-up, more like the person he thought Naruto should really be.

"I'm... actually..." Naruto barked a short laugh, a noise that momentarily startled Sasuke. "If you ask the people I knew when I was younger... I'm a ball of energy, really..."

And he rambled on, his cheeks flushed and his lips never falling from the brilliant smile they wore. Sasuke smiled and listened intently as the true Naruto slowly stepped from the shadows of trepidation he had been lurking in.

"And I really do love ramen!" Naruto told him brightly, grinning in such a manner that seemed as though it belonged to him and him alone.

"And this is the real Naruto?"

"Well..." Naruto laughed nervously. "As real as I can be."

"You know..." Sasuke mused. "What's your surname? Seems a bit weird to call you 'Uchiha Naruto' or something."

He watched as Naruto's eyes suddenly fell downcast and the smile did finally fade from his face. Instantly, he felt as though he'd said something wrong.

"Naruto..." he said quietly, extending a hand to the blonde's. "What's wrong?"

"I'm an Uzumaki." Naruto told him just as quietly.

"Uzumaki, huh?" Sasuke said, blinking once. "I remember that family. Yondaime..."

"My father, yes. I trust you heard about his death and his bravery." Naruto's voice sounded defensive now. "I was young when that happened, and so I was sold... into a kind of slavery like this. And fifteen years later, here I am."

He gestured to himself, but smiled back up at Sasuke again.

"Here you are." Sasuke repeated.

Naruto cast his eyes back to the items between them, and picked up a small cake absentmindedly. As he unwrapped it and lifted it to take a bite, a wicked idea scampered through Sasuke's mind. Before he could stop himself, his hand rose and smashed the cake straight onto Naruto's lips and nose.

For a moment, the blonde sat dumbfounded, his eyes blinking rapidly above a mess of cream that covered his face. Sasuke's hands flew to his mouth as he attempted to stifle the hysterical laughter that threatened to explode from him. And to his delight, he could see a challenge creeping into the waters of Naruto's eyes.

He was off the bed and at the open door in a flash, turning back to Naruto with challenge written all over his face. Naruto jumped up to the door, but hesitated. Sasuke's eyes glinted in his direction, and he threw caution to the wind and tore down the hall after Sasuke. They weren't very concerned by the fact that their shouts and laughs were loud and carrying, but when Naruto's hand finally closed around the back of Sasuke's shirt, they toppled onto the floor as Itachi came around the corner.

They both fell silent, and Sasuke felt Naruto's hands tighten around his waist in fear. The blonde's sharp intake of breath went unheard by Itachi, and Sasuke stubbornly stood and helped Naruto to his feet as well.

"Sasuke." Itachi sounded stupefied instead of furious, but his eyes were glaring pure hatred at Naruto.

"What?" Sasuke said, not even trying to control his annoyance.

"Exactly what are you doing?"

"Running through my house."

"With the boy?"

"With Naruto, yes." Sasuke told him indignantly, and Itachi folded his arms over his chest.

"And who told you that you could?"

"You are _not_ going to tell me what to do. You can't."

"But I _can_ tell him what to do."

Sasuke frowned up at him. Itachi was right; there wasn't really any way around that fact. He made a noise of protest as Itachi pulled Naruto's arm from his grasp, and led him down the hall. Naruto's head twisted back in his direction, managing a smile through his helplessness.

Sasuke snorted and bulled his way after Itachi, stopping only just out of sight as they reached Naruto's door.

"You stupid boy," Itachi snarled at Naruto, gripping his arm harder. "Who in the hell told you that it was all right to leave this room?"

"No one," Naruto said, fighting to keep his voice frightened, rather than angry as he would have had it. "I just... followed Sasuke."

"My brother is none of your concern," Itachi told him maliciously, twisting his arm again so that Naruto cried out in pain. "You will not talk to him again, do you understand me?"

Naruto half-nodded, and Itachi's eyes settled to assess the cream on Naruto's face.

"And what is on your face?"

"It's..." Naruto didn't know what to say; he knew he couldn't tell Itachi that it was from a cake he wasn't allowed to have in the first place. "Um..."

And Itachi slapped him. The sound rang out, sharp and clear, and Sasuke threw himself around the corner with fury. Itachi turned as Sasuke's fist met the side of his face, and Naruto jumped back into his room with a yelp.

Itachi stepped back, running a hand under his now-bleeding nose, and glared loathingly at Sasuke.

"You leave him alone," he growled, and stalked off down the hallway without so much as a backward glance at Naruto. The blonde sighed, and pulled a seething Sasuke inside the room, shutting the door with a snap.

"How dare he!" Sasuke raged, bringing a hand to Naruto's face, despite the other's embarrassed protests. He gently ran his thumb over the bruised red patch on Naruto's cheek.

"I'm sorry," he said absently, still intensely fussing over Naruto's cheek, now intent on wiping away the cream. "It's my fault... I can't help that you 'belong' to Itachi, but I shouldn't have smashed that cake in your face... shouldn't have led you out into the hall like that..."

"Sasuke," Naruto said, and once again Sasuke looked up in surprise at the commanding tone. "I'm glad you did."

Sasuke merely stared at him.

"I mean," Naruto said, smiling shyly again despite himself. "It's nice to feel like I'm not trapped in here all the time."

Sasuke lowered his hand, and stared at Naruto with a mix of pity and wonder.

"And... I'd rather have you than Itachi-san."

"Well," Sasuke said, a smile twitching at his lips as he recognized the compliment. "I'm sure anyone's better than Itachi."

"Yeah..." Naruto said slowly, but then he grinned mockingly. "But why don't you just take the compliment!"

And Sasuke laughed with him, feeling carefree for the moment. But deep down he knew that he would have to battle with Itachi in the future, if he wanted to keep Naruto safe, and keep his promise.

"All right, then," he said, playfully grabbing Naruto's head under his arm and resmearing the cream. "Yeah... Sasuke-san it is!"

And outside the door, Itachi frowned. This would not do at all.

**T.B.C...**


	3. Chapter 3

ibCHAPTER 3/i/b

Little more than three weeks had gone by, and already Sasuke had coaxed the true Naruto out of hiding behind his veil of subservience. He felt as though they had been friends for a long time, certainly longer than and for quite different reasons than the fact that one of them happened to be a slave to the other's brother.

Naruto, in his entirety, had a personality that Sasuke was sure he would be annoyed by if he didn't treasure it, so ridiculously hyper it was. He idid/i treasure it; he reveled in the fact that he had finally gotten Naruto to behave normally, even more that he now had someone to participate in mischief with.

And though they were both sixteen, Sasuke felt like a child when he was with Naruto.

Their time together was frequent now. Itachi had done nothing since the night Sasuke had intervened, but that was mainly because he could never seem to find them when they were lurking the house. Whether he accepted the fact that Sasuke was indeed leading Naruto from his original purposes, he neither knew nor cared.

But because he spent only late afternoons and evenings with Naruto, he began to wonder just how Naruto served Itachi. He had always known it went on, of course; what else could you expect to happen with a slave? But he had never thought to ask what it was that Naruto was supposed to do.

Naruto cautiously peered around a corner as Sasuke dug into their kitchen closet, rummaging around for more cakes or candies. He sat down on the closet floor with a sigh, and Naruto followed suit as he shut the door.

"So tell me," Sasuke said thickly, his mouth full of cake as he offered Naruto one. "What exactly do you do for Itachi?"

Naruto looked up for a moment from his cake, not looking mortified or apprehensive as Sasuke had expected he might, but simply looking curious.

"Well," he said, resuming the unwrapping of his cake. "Mainly he just makes me get things for him, and follow him around in case he needs something... stuff like that."

If he was lying, Sasuke couldn't detect it. But he pressed on:

"And then he puts you back in your room?"

"Yeah."

"And he doesn't even lock it..." Sasuke mused as Naruto picked up another cake. "Hmm..."

"I think he wants me to be around you," Naruto told him quietly. "For whatever reason."

"You think so?" Sasuke asked, genuinely surprised. "Well, he hasn't said or done anything to try and stop me."

"Oh, he says things," Naruto said, smiling serenely. "Just thoughts he can't help but mutter loud enough for me to hear."

"Like what?"

"Oh..." Naruto scratched his nose. "Just things like... 'Didn't bring him here to be friends' and 'Sasuke can't mind his own business' and stuff like that."

Sasuke stifled a laugh at how Naruto's voice had changed to mock Itachi's words.

"But..." Naruto's voice was suddenly his again, and somber. "Once I asked him... why he let me continue to see you."

"What did he say?"

"Well, after he told me that it was really none of my business... he said it was because you'd pay for it in the end."

Naruto instantly looked frantic at the expression on Sasuke's face. He clutched Sasuke's hand in his.

"But I'm sure it was just Itachi-san being Itachi-san!"

Sasuke grinned smirkingly at Naruto. "Don't worry yourself."

But his own mind was racing. Itachi idid/i mean it, whatever it was. In actuality, there were a number of things he could do to make anyone pay for something. With this involving him and Naruto, he shuddered to think.

"No." Naruto's hand tightened around his, and his eyes were blazing determination. "You told me to act real. And now it's your turn."

Sasuke stared at him, stupefied, until Naruto's face broke out into a grin.

"Besides," he said teasingly. "I'd say I'm able to read your emotions now."

Sasuke continued to stare at him, seeing his own expression, childlike, reflected in Naruto's eyes.

"I'm scared," he said, warmth spreading over his cheeks as he admitted it. "I was never supposed to have talked to you... but... all I've done is get attached..."

"Attached?" Now Naruto wore the blinkingly childlike face.

"Yes," Sasuke said, flushing deeper; it was suddenly too hot in the closet, and he stood up as his fingers slipped from Naruto's grasp. "And he told me not to..."

"Surely you don't listen to Itachi-san, though?" Naruto said, gaining his feet, not seeming to realize that Sasuke was now the one feeling shyness and embarrassment. "I mean-"

It was at that moment that he turned, and came face-to-face with Sasuke. His lips stopped moving as his words failed him, and suddenly the closet seemed much too small.

For a few earth-shattering moments, all the two boys could do was stand and stare into each other's eyes, and Sasuke was reminded of how very blue Naruto's eyes were, and how much they fascinated him.

And then Naruto was gone, the door swinging wide, and Sasuke threw himself out of the closet with a shout, only to see that blue shirt disappearing around the corner, blonde hair whipping behind it as well. With a couple of pained, heaving breaths, Sasuke tore after him, catching him at his door, and tumbling inside with him.

As they struggled together in a corner of the darkened room, Sasuke pinned Naruto's shoulders to the wall, and held him still.

"Naruto."

The blonde's crimson face was turned to the side, tears lingering steadfastly in the corners of his eyes.

"I'm sorry!" he blurted, shaking his head back and forth. "I shouldn't have-"

"Naruto, listen to me!" Sasuke said frantically, pushing him more fiercely against the wall. "No... I'm the one who shouldn't have! I shouldn't have gotten you into all this mess! But I don't care! I'm glad I broke the rules, I'm glad we're friends, I'm igald/i to spend time around you!"

Naruto's eyes were now locked with his once more.

"I was disciplined before you came here! And I feel like I'm finally being the real me, and it's all because of you!"

And with more force than he intended, he braced his arms around Naruto's head and dove forward to kiss him. Naruto's immediate reaction was to pull away, and Sasuke's lips caught the edge of his jaw. As his senses kicked back in, Sasuke moved slower, gently coaxing Naruto's lips down to meet his.

He savored Naruto's breath, feeling the illustrious heat from the blonde's body, and he tilted his head to deepen the kiss. Only when it seemed Naruto had finally given in and had brought tentative hands to the sides of Sasuke's face, Itachi's voice sounded from the hallway.

"Get out here!"

Flustered and shaken, Naruto broke away from Sasuke's kiss, and raced for the door, his wild eyes casting a final look back at Sasuke, who shrank into the shadows as light streamed in from the hall, and then the closed the door again. Sasuke sprang to the door, peeking through a the crack between it and the doorframe. He could see Naruto's trembling lips, just above his chin.

"Were you running?"

"Yes," Naruto said, and his head bowed out of sight for a moment before returning to its normal height. "I'm sorry."

"Why were you running?"

"I..." Naruto bit down on his lip. "I was done... talking with Sasuke, and I was just trying to get back to my room."

"Why is your face so red?" Itachi asked him shamelessly, acting as though Sasuke had not been mentioned at all. Naruto's tongue darted out to lick his lips, and Sasuke shifted.

"I was running fast."

Faster than Sasuke could comprehend, a hand flashed across Naruto's face with a resounding crack. Sasuke ground his teeth together in fury, digging his hands into his sides. If he were to dart from the room now, no matter how much he wanted to make Itachi pay for that slap, Naruto would only get into more trouble.

"You can't lie to me," Itachi said, and Sasuke could see his hand pull Naruto up by the collar. "I can only wonder what you're doing in there with my brother-"

"I'm not-"

"Now." And Sasuke froze as Itachi's lips descended onto Naruto's, forcefully and without gentleness. A feral snarl exploded inside of him, and he had his hand on the doorknob as Itachi spoke again.

"He will pay for this." His brother hissed his threat onto Naruto's lips, and Sasuke's breath caught as unforgiving red eyes fell onto his through the crack in the door.

bT.B.C.../b 


	4. Chapter 4

_**CHAPTER 4**_

Panicked and breathless, Sasuke made way as the door opened again, light once more casting a thin stream on the floor before it disappeared with the snap.

The silence Sasuke expected didn't last quite as long as he'd thought it would, as Naruto stumbled forward, fingers latching onto the front of his shirt.

"Sasuke." Naruto spoke quietly, startling Sasuke by gripping the sides of his face and bringing their lips together again. Sasuke lifted his hands to Naruto's face as well, gently, and he tasted tears. Though the room was dark, his lips did all the seeing for him. Naruto was hurt, and he needed comfort.

But as Sasuke parted his lips to whisper soothingly to him, he found Naruto's hands deftly removing his shirt. He pulled away in haste, seizing Naruto's hands in his own. Things were going from bad to worse; after all, weren't they only ever just friends in the first place?

"Naruto... what are you doing?"

"Please, Sasuke... I _know_ you saw him... he said he'd make you pay... oh, God, what will he do to me?"

Sasuke snatched Naruto's body to his fiercely, wrapping his arms around him, holding him as close as he could.

"Naruto! I'm sorry! This is all my fault, he's only doing it because he thinks _I_ love you!" Sasuke discovered that he was sobbing his words into Naruto's shoulder. "You don't deserve this, it's all my fault!"

"Sasuke, no," Naruto whispered, his voice hitched with desperation. "It's just... if I'm going to be... I... I want it to be you."

Sasuke released him in shock, taking a few stunned steps back.

"You think... Itachi's going to...?"

"He will," Naruto breathed onto the corners of Sasuke's lips as he pulled himself into his arms again. "He wants to... take me away from you at any cost..."

Quietly, Naruto reached back and turned a lock on the door. So it had a lock all this time?

"I don't understand," Sasuke said numbly. "This wasn't why you were brought here at all..."

"Then why was I?" Naruto demanded, his voice betraying his anger. "To serve Itachi-san? Well, I for one want to know what it is that he wants from me!"

"But..."

"I know how you feel," Naruto said, his voice breathy and quiet again. "But it's too late to worry about whether this feels right or not."

Sasuke drew a few quick, laborious breaths. Naruto was right; this felt all wrong. He'd never even spared time to consider what his 'first time' would be like, but if he had, he was sure he would not have pictured it like this. But Naruto was right again; it was far too late to worry about that.

His body was unconsciously ready, but his mind was racing in circles. Naruto slowly slid the rest of the way out of his shirt, and Sasuke began to unbutton his own. They were standing just mere inches from each other, but to Sasuke, it felt like miles. It was as though, focused as they were on undressing themselves, their current situation had been put far from mind. As though in a few minutes they _wouldn't _be having sex.

Sasuke stopped with his hands at the buttons on his pants.

"Are you... are you sure?" His voice was hoarse.

"As sure as I'll ever be... Sasuke." Naruto's last word was a whisper.

Sasuke couldn't find a way to move, but it was Naruto who pulled himself forward again. Sasuke closed his eyes as their lips met tenderly again, and it was there in the dark that their reality hit him. With a hasty step forward, Naruto's back was pressed into the wall and a drawn-out moan streamed from the blonde's throat.

It was indeed beginning.

Throwing caution to the wind, Sasuke brought his hands to Naruto's bare waist, feeling the burning heat that met his fingertips as he did so. His own body was already so hot; his lust and his want and his _need_ was so painful...

"Naruto..." he said, casting a glance toward the bed. "Should we...?"

"No... here..." Naruto panted, his need to be touched making itself clearly known. Sasuke hesitated for a moment. This still felt terribly wrong, but to try and take an awkward situation and make it mean something would be like asking the sun to stop shining.

And so Sasuke cast away his thoughts as he pulled feverishly at the pants that had once belonged to him, his hands trailed along Naruto's chest, and his lips bore down upon the lips of the other.

There was only one way to do this, and he was going to do it right.

Naruto's arms were already wrapped around his neck, and they clung desperately to each other, trying to find a way to proceed. The pain in his abdomen was reaching a crucial peak, and he cried out as Naruto's hands left his shoulders and freed him from his pants. His chest was heaving as he struggled to remain conscious, the swirling haze of emotions and sensations threatening to overwhelm him.

They were like the sputtering parts of a car, long broken, but still harboring the fight and the drive to keep trying to start. Two opposite parts, though; they both kept risking dominance, trying to set things in motion, but halting abruptly once their move was done.

Sasuke was thinking too much.

As he felt both pairs of pants pool around their feet, he raised a cautious hand, but the moment his fingers made contact with what he knew to be Naruto's swollen erection, he pulled them back.

"Do it again..." Naruto moaned, nearly sobbing. Sasuke could feel something warm and wet sliding down his own thigh, and his hand snaked back down to Naruto's legs.

He swallowed heavily, and with gentle force, he pushed Naruto's legs apart. In reaction, the blonde clung to him again to remain standing, and Sasuke pressed his face into the wall behind Naruto's shoulder.

This was it.

And suddenly Naruto pulled his head back, and Sasuke followed suit, and the world stood still as they looked at each other, not really seeing but understanding.

Sasuke inclined his head and their lips met deeply, their tongues for the first time clashing, and Sasuke heaved a breath as they broke apart.

"Nnh... now..."

Naruto's voice broke the spell, and without waiting another moment, Sasuke pushed forward.

He felt teeth pierce into his neck as Naruto bit him to quell a scream; nails dug into his back, and he was sure it would leave marks; he hissed as heat descended right over his pain, but strangely seemed to intensify it.

Sasuke realized, only half-aware, that his own hands were firmly gripping Naruto's sides, and he was pushing the blonde into the wall as hard as he thought was possible. Standing up wasn't nearly as difficult as he'd thought it would be.

He felt like speaking, if only to ask Naruto how close he was to release, but words seemed almost taboo in this intimate moment of time. And then Naruto spoke.

"Sasuke..." he ground out, speaking slowly and pantingly, it was true. "What are we-"

"Naruto?!"

"This isn't right..."

Sasuke was out of his mind with unexplainable rage. His passion was driving him more and more towards anger, but... no. Not at Naruto; at the situation Sasuke had let himself be led into-

"Sasuke, don't you realize?"

Drawn into-

"Naruto, we can't..."

They couldn't keep this up, there would be consequences-

"Oh, how could I let myself..."

Naruto half-screamed again, his legs buckling, and suddenly Sasuke had all of his weight-

"Naruto, no... it's my fault...

Any minute now-

"No... I love you!"

And Sasuke clenched his eyes and his mouth closed as he felt what he recognized as brief finality wash through him, eliminating his pain and replacing him with a peaceful drowsiness. He stumbled as Naruto experienced the same, and they slowly slid down the wall, still holding one another tightly. Sasuke felt something once again trickling down his leg, but every touch stung and burned, so he didn't pay it any mind.

Naruto was crying again; as close as they were, Sasuke could feel the tears mingling with his own on their faces.

Something stirred in his mind.

"You said... you love me...?"

Naruto enfolded himself further into Sasuke's arms, still shaking with silent tears.

"I don't know..." he said, and he laughed weakly; the most beautiful sound in the world to Sasuke. "Maybe I do."

"Do you want to move?" Sasuke asked him, and he felt Naruto shake his head.

"Can we just stay?" he asked, pressing himself closer to Sasuke, and the raven-haired boy embraced him tightly. He was indeed warm and comfortable, and standing was last on his wish list. He felt his eyes drooping as he succumbed to the sleepiness that overcame his body.

"Naruto..." he mumbled, but the blonde had already drifted off, his soft spikes of hair tickling Sasuke's chest. He faded out of consciousness.

Sasuke dimly awoke to a furious knocking, and it took him all of three seconds to realize what was happening.

Itachi was pounding on the door. Naruto was already re-dressed and now scrambling to pull Sasuke's clothes back on properly without making a sound. And they were moments from being caught.

"Sasuke," Naruto whispered almost inaudibly; if Sasuke hadn't been centimeters from him, he was sure he wouldn't have heard.

"Naruto... is that...?"

Naruto seized Sasuke hastily, bringing their lips together in a deep and chaste kiss, and then pushed him back toward the bed. Sasuke glanced in fear at the door as Itachi started shouting, the doorknob rattling furiously.

"Dammit, Naruto, get your ass out here! I could hear you, do you know that? You scream louder than anyone I've ever heard! And Sasuke, I know you're in there! I told you you'd pay for touching him!"

And in what could only be called acceptance of fate, Naruto unlocked the door.

Itachi burst in at once, took one look at Naruto's rumpled appearance in the light now flooding in, and cast his eyes briefly at the brother that was hiding poorly. All in one instant, he had Naruto in an armlock and was dragging him down the hall.

"You love him, do you?" Itachi snarled as Sasuke burst out the door into the hallway. "I'll show you who you're going to love."

"Itachi-san-" Naruto said pleadingly.

"Finally... you're going to serve _some_ purpose..."

And her shoved Naruto unceremoniously against the wall, straight in Sasuke's line of vision, and bore down on him with rough lips and hands.

"_This_", he said, with a smirk of malice. "Is why you were brought here."

**T.B.C...**


End file.
